


How To Recognize A Portal 101: A Lecture By Magnus Bane

by AceOnIce



Series: WINGO fics [14]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, First Meetings, I don't know what these tags are, I don't know what this is lmao, King of Edom Magnus Bane, M/M, Malec Discord Server WINGO, Mundane Alec Lightwood, Portals, Wingfic, bath bombs mistaken as portals, half crack, the descent into hell is easy, when a portal appears in your bath tub
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24581650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceOnIce/pseuds/AceOnIce
Summary: It's not Alec's fault he ended up in Edom. What was he supposed to think when he saw the red and orange swirl in his bath tub? How was he supposed to know it was a portal and not a bath bomb?
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: WINGO fics [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701433
Comments: 28
Kudos: 237
Collections: Wingo Summer





	How To Recognize A Portal 101: A Lecture By Magnus Bane

**Author's Note:**

> We were talking about bath bombs and portals on Discord and I said I wasn't gonna write the fic because I had too many WIPs but here it is lmao.  
> I threw in some intangible wings for the wingo fill.

When Alec sees the swirly red and orange shimmer in his bathtub, he assumes it’s another one of Isabelle’s bath bombs. His sister loves her colorful baths and forgets to drain the tub entirely too often. 

He steps into the tub, only to have everything go sideways. He’s hit with the distinct sensation of falling, but before he can even wonder how he’d slipped so easily, he’s on his knees in gritty red sand. 

He blinks at the sand around him, at the red sky above him, at the sudden heat in the air.

His first thought is that he’s somehow fallen, hit his head and died. And, of course, going by his surroundings, he’d done something to land himself in Hell. 

“Who are you?” 

Alec turns at the sound of a voice- too lyrical for how he had imagined Hell- and finds what he can only assume is the devil. And all the original artists had gotten it right because he’s unfairly attractive. 

The devil is tall, his skin golden, dark hair styled in a faux-hawk with red streaks running through it. He’s wearing _makeup-_ dark kohl around his eyes, and black clothing with red accents that shimmers with sequins. His knee-length jacket swirls around him like a cape. Behind him loom two giant wings that look more like shadows than actual palpable things. The devil _was_ a fallen angel, Alec supposes, it makes sense for him to have wings. 

“Well? Who are you?” The devil asks again, voice sharp. 

Alec blinks at him because he’s the devil, shouldn’t he know this? He manages to say, “Alexander Lightwood.” 

“And pray tell, Alexander Lightwood, how did you end up here?” 

Alec gets to his feet on shaky legs, brushing red sand from his jeans. “Shouldn’t you know that?” 

The devil narrows his eyes before raising a hand. A ring like a claw is curled around his forefinger. “What I know is that I made a portal to go top-side and you came hurtling through it.” 

Alec follows where he’s pointing. The swirling mass of red and orange that had been in his bathtub exists behind him, but it’s vertical now. “That’s a portal?” 

“Are you always this slow on the uptake?” 

Alec narrows his eyes at the person he’s not entirely sure is a devil anymore. “I just stepped into my bathtub and fell through a portal into Hell, excuse me for being a little surprised.” 

“We’re not in hell,” the devil/ demon/ winged-person says. “We’re in Edom, there’s a difference.” 

“What is Edom?” 

The guys rolls his eyes and somehow Alec is just noticing that they’re golden and shaped like cat eyes. It’s hardly the weirdest thing about him. In fact, Alec is almost more weirded out that the guy is shorter than him because everything about him screams that he’s powerful and looming. He should tower over Alec. 

“Wait, did you say your bathtub?” 

Alec presses two fingers to his temple, trying to keep up with the conversation. “Yes? I thought my sister had left her bath bomb water in and I went to drain it and ended up here.” 

The wings flutter behind the guy as he looks from Alec to the portal. Alec wonders if he should jump back through it while he still has the chance, but now he’s overcome with curiosity to find out exactly what he’s gotten himself into. 

“A bathtub,” the person (if he can be described as such) muses. “I meant to go to a park, but it’s been a while since I’ve been top-side.” 

“Top-side?” 

“On earth,” he waves a hand as if this is normal conversation, “in layman’s terms. Does Central Park still exist?” 

Alec slowly nods. “Yeah.” 

The guy snaps and the portal disappears, quickly replaced by a new one. “Perfect.” 

Alec watches him step through the portal before jumping after him, hoping to end up in Central Park. It’s much closer to his home than whatever Edom is. 

He feels the tension roll off his shoulders as the familiar surroundings come into focus around him. The large sidewalk, the other New Yorkers, the sounds of the city traffic- they all welcome him back. The guy from Edom looks back at him, wings gone, formerly golden eyes now a normal brown. “You’re still here?” 

“Were you going to leave me there?” Alec chokes out, “In the wasteland that is somehow outside of Earth?” 

The man- or at least, he looks like a normal, if somewhat oddly dressed, man- studies him closely. Then he sticks out his hand with the claw ring. “Magnus Bane.” 

Alec hesitantly shakes it. Magnus’ skin is warmer than he expected, perhaps a symptom of being whatever he is. Perhaps a result of coming from Edom which Alec is convinced is pretty much Hell. “Are you the devil?” 

Magnus snorts as he releases Alec’s hand. “Not exactly. I’m the king of Edom.” 

“Sounds like the devil,” Alec mutters under his breath, feeling slightly more confident now that he’s back in his own city and the king of Edom doesn't have his golden eyes or dark wings on display. 

“The devil isn’t real,” Magnus says easily. “Or if he is, he's kept it well-hidden from the rest of us. Although, I suppose my father was the closest thing to the mundane idea of the devil. As a greater demon and ruler of Edom.” 

“I thought you were the king of Edom?” 

Magnus sends him a sly smile. Something that looks eerily like danger sparkles in his eye. “I overthrew him a century ago.” 

Alec decides he was right to think Magnus is dangerous. Then again, it would have been hard to think anything else when Magnus looks the way he does. 

“So why are you in New York now?” Alec knows he should be getting back to his apartment, that Izzy is going to wonder where he’s gone. He probably shouldn’t want to attract the attention of the guy who runs what is essentially Hell. But Magnus is intoxicating and Alec can’t imagine walking away from him now. 

“I have friends here,” Magnus responds easily. “Of course he couldn’t bother with giving me a better address to portal into. Though, I admit, I didn’t expect a living space to be built over the park I normally use.” 

Alec thinks about saying his apartment isn’t exactly new, it’s been there for 90 years, but then he thinks of Magnus casually saying that he’d overthrown his father a century ago. “How old are you?” 

“Alexander!” Magnus slaps a hand over his own mouth in what is clearly mock outrage. It’s the first sign of _playfulness_ Alec has seen from him and it’s just as appealing as the rest of him. “Don’t you know you should never ask a man his age?” 

He’s very clearly avoiding answering, but Alec just shakes his head. “Okay, then what are you? You're king of Edom, but not the devil... What does that make you?” 

“A warlock, of course.” Magnus holds up a hand and wisps of red magic- because what else could it be- swirl around his fingertips. Then he lowers his hand and it’s gone. 

Alec takes a moment to process that Magnus is a warlock, but it’s not stranger than anything else that has happened so he goes with it. “Oh. Right.” 

“Do you live in this direction Alexander?” 

He glances at the street sign. “No.” 

A hint of a smile pulls at Magnus’ lips. He doesn’t say anything, but he reaches out and wraps a warm hand around Alec’s wrist, tugging him into the next alleyway they come across. Alec watches in wonder as the shadowy wings appear behind Magnus once again, his eyes returning to the golden glow. 

“You don’t look scared,” Magnus says, his voice soft. 

Alec shakes his head slightly, in awe. “Should I be?” 

“Most people are.” Magnus releases his wrist, bringing his hand up to trace Alec’s cheek with the clawed ring. “You’re special.” 

“Thanks?” 

Magnus smiles again and this time it reaches fully across his lips. He huffs a breath, brushing his fingers through Alec’s hair, leaning closer. Alec lets his eyes fall shut, but Magnus doesn’t kiss him. The warlock's hand falls away. 

Alec opens his eyes and sees Magnus studying him closely. He snaps his fingers and Alec feels magic settle into his skin. “What was that?” 

“A simple spell. So if you stumble into any other realms, they’ll know you have my protection. And this way I can find you again.” 

“You’re leaving?”

He shouldn’t feel disappointed but he does. Magnus’ soft smile suggests that he notices. 

Magus leans in and presses a barely-there kiss to the corner of Alec’s mouth. “I really do have to meet my friend. But, if you call for me, with this spell I’ll be able to hear it. I’ll come find you. So, call me, pretty boy.” 

Alec manages a nod and Magnus gives him a look that’s utterly predatory before his wings vanish and his eyes fade to soft brown. He turns and walks down the alleyway and Alec heads the opposite direction. His skin is still tingling, but he can't tell if it's from the spell or having been close to Magnus.

He decides that even though it turned out relatively well, he’s never trusting a bath bomb again. 


End file.
